The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Just as Bai's mother came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of washed apples, she overheard this and was so shocked that she almost dropped the fruit plate. Her face was filled with incredulous joy.

"Yes, Mom!" Qiao Xinxin took the big apple her mother handed her, took a crisp bite, and exclaimed, "This is like a windfall! I've already decided in my heart that it's a great deal!"

Mr. Bai dried his hands and sat down on the edge of the sofa. His cautious nature compelled him to interject, "Xin Xin, who exactly is this Uncle Zhou? This is too much of a bargain; is he reliable? Maybe he's some kind of conman?"

Qiao Xinxin quickly swallowed the apple and explained earnestly, "Dad, don't worry! Uncle Zhou works for Brother Lu's mother and is in charge of managing their family's shops in the capital. These shops originally belonged to Brother Lu's family. Uncle Zhou knows every shop inside and out, and he's a very honest and reliable person."

Hearing this, Bai Zhengyuan nodded, reassuring his father: "Dad, I guarantee Lao Lu's character with my life. He's absolutely trustworthy. Since he's spoken up, there's nothing fishy about the people and shops he's introducing."

Having dispelled his family's doubts, Bai Zhengyuan turned to his sister, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee: "So, how long do you plan to rent this shop?"

"Sign a one-year contract."

Qiao Xinxin mentally flipped through the ledger: "A thousand yuan a year for rent, plus a hundred yuan for the deposit, that's a thousand one hundred yuan upfront. The money we squeezed out of the Qiao family, plus the compensation, leaves us with a total of two thousand yuan in principal. After paying the rent and deposit, we'll only have nine hundred yuan left. To be honest, that's pretty tight as start-up capital for opening a shop."

Upon hearing the number "nine hundred dollars," the atmosphere in the living room quieted down slightly.

Bai Zhengyuan frowned slightly and slowly began to analyze: "With nine hundred yuan in start-up capital, you need to buy meat in large quantities, purchase dozens of kinds of spices, pay for water, electricity and gas, and also set aside some working capital to deal with various emergencies... It is indeed a bit tight."

But he quickly changed the subject, looking at his sister with a determined gaze: "However, there's no such thing as a perfect start in business. Since the shop is in such a good location and has all the necessary equipment, you might as well take advantage of this opportunity. I support you, rent it! If you don't have enough money, I'll just find a way to borrow some more!"

Bai's mother and father exchanged a glance, and without the slightest hesitation in their eyes, they nodded heavily.

"That's it! Rent it!" Mother Bai slapped her thigh, making the decision for her daughter, her face full of enthusiasm. "Xin Xin, you go talk to Uncle Zhou first thing tomorrow morning and make sure this shop is secured! The sooner we secure it, the sooner we can have peace of mind, lest someone else snatches it away!"

Looking at the unwavering support in her adoptive parents' and brother's eyes, Qiao Xinxin felt as if her heart was being bathed in warm water, and an unprecedented warm current surged up.

Compared to the Qiao family, who only sucked her blood and schemed against her, this was her true family!

"Great! I'll go and finalize it first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll open for business as soon as possible!"

The family of four seized the opportunity and gathered together to discuss all the details of opening the shop. From which vegetable market to buy the cheapest produce, to how to price the vegetables; from what time to open for business each day, to how to divide the work among the family members, they discussed everything in great detail.

After chatting for a while, Qiao Xinxin quickly finished the last bit of apple and wiped her hands with a tissue.

Then, as if by magic, she pulled a neatly folded sheet of paper covered in dense writing from her pocket. This was a menu draft she had spent half the night working on, going over it countless times in her mind.

"Mom and Dad, brother, take a look at this."

Qiao Xinxin spread the letter on the coffee table, pointed to the words on it, and said, "These are some dishes I've initially drafted. You're all experienced, so please help me think about which ones are suitable and which ones need to be included."

Bai's mother quickly wiped her hands on her apron, went inside to find her reading glasses, put them on, and squinted to look at them.

On the letter paper, Qiao Xinxin's neat and beautiful penmanship was clearly categorized.

It is divided into five categories: [Braised Dishes], [Hot Dishes], [Cold Dishes], [Soups], and [Staple Dishes].

Moreover, in an era when people didn't have much of a concept of cost, she actually clearly marked the estimated cost price and the proposed selling price in small pencil print after each dish, making it easy for people to understand at a glance!

Bai's father also craned his neck to get a look. Bai Zhengyuan, holding a teacup, sat to the side, not in a hurry to speak, waiting for his parents to finish reading first.

"Braised pig's trotters, braised chicken feet, braised duck wings, braised large intestines, braised tofu, braised eggs..." Mother Bai nodded repeatedly as she looked at the food, her face crinkling into a smile. "We've had all of these yesterday and today. The taste is absolutely superb; they'll definitely sell well!"

But when her gaze shifted to the next column, her brows gradually furrowed.

"Over here for hot dishes... braised pork belly, braised spare ribs, sweet and sour fish, twice-cooked pork, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens..."

Bai's mother looked up at her daughter with some concern: "Xin Xin, isn't there too much meat in this hot dish? Isn't it too expensive? Although most of the people living near Huaihua Street are working professionals, not every family can afford to eat so much meat every day!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhengyuan's eyes lit up, and he immediately put down his teacup and took over the conversation.

"Mom's words hit the nail on the head!"

Bai Zhengyuan leaned forward, looking at his sister earnestly: "Xinxin, let me interject. You may have just returned to the capital and don't quite understand the cost of living here. People in the capital are indeed better off than those in our hometown, but ultimately, we are all ordinary wage earners with fixed salaries. Everyone knows how much money they have and tries to stretch every penny."

He pointed to the large meat dishes on the menu and pointed out incisively, "They might spend a few cents or a dollar each month after receiving their salary, or during holidays, to buy some of our braised pig's trotters or chicken feet to satisfy their cravings. But if you expect them to spend a lot of money eating out every day, eating big meals of braised pork ribs and sweet and sour fish, that's absolutely unrealistic!"

Qiao Xinxin sat obediently on the sofa, her hands clasped together, her big, watery eyes looking intently at her brother without any rebuttal, but instead full of curiosity.

She really needs this kind of down-to-earth advice for our times.

Seeing that his sister was listening, Bai Zhengyuan softened his tone and continued, "So I think that vegetarian dishes should make up the majority of the 'hot dishes' and 'cold dishes' on our menu!"

"Firstly, vegetarian dishes are inexpensive, so we can price them cheaply, making them affordable for ordinary people without them feeling guilty. Secondly, the dietary habits of people in Beijing are quite different from those in our southern hometowns. They love noodles and steamed buns are their staple food, and they like to eat a variety of vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, and radishes. If we prepare more stir-fried and cold vegetarian dishes to go well with rice, they'll have more choices and won't feel the pinch in spending money, naturally leading to a steady stream of repeat customers!"